1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a data management method, and more particularly to a data file management and search method and system based on file attributes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data stored in a computer system is sorted and introduced in different catalogs for classification, management, and search. Data can be accurately classified into different catalogs but a data search may be difficult due to a great amount of returned data, resulting the inability to locate accurate data. Currently, a data search method obtains desired data according to keywords. Such a manner cannot completely filter data rapidly and accurately
An operating system (Microsoft Windows XP, for example) manages data by catalogs and creates a catalog tree for user browsing based on catalog layer relations. The catalog tree, however, is a path concept, implying users must memorize a complete path to a desired data item.
A search engine on the Internet locates desired data according to keywords. Thus, users only have to input keywords relating to desired data without being required to memorize data paths. The data search, however, generates multiple data items such that the desired data cannot be rapidly obtained.
Additionally, multimedia data management applications manage a single type of data, such as pictures, video files, or music, retrieving essential information from the data as attributes thereof. Some multimedia data applications further provide the addition of specified attributes in a data file. Thus, desired data can be located according to the added attributes or determines whether located data files comprise the same attributes according to input keywords.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,080,059 patent discloses a search and presentation engine, implementing further sorting on located results. The engine generally searches and presents multiple individual data paths, users must then filter the located data paths. Data searching is more convenient if automatic classification for the located data paths is provided.
Thus, the invention provides a data file management and search method and system based on file attributes, integrating searching and catalog browsing and achieving preferable flexibility and ease of use by data attribute assignment and virtual catalog creation, to ease location of desired data among a great amount data.